Conscience

The murder at the academic exchange meeting of Yue Province University had a very negative impact.

The heinous aspect extends beyond the murder itself to a series of subsequent problems.

Outer State is not the Pro State. The use of dark abilities is not public knowledge in Outer State. Ninety-nine percent of Outer State people do not know the concept of dark abilities. Even some low-level dark ability enthusiast groups cannot confirm the existence of dark abilities. For experts, professors and students who believe in science, what they experienced in the academic lecture hall was tantamount to challenging the understanding of the entire Outer State.

Fortunately, the situation was brought under control. Yu Yaoming only killed Yan Youjun. The killing was extremely fast, and most people did not see it clearly, which gave the authorities an opportunity to provide a reasonable explanation.

Ultimately, Yan Youjun's death was explained as an experimental accident. As for why the experiment was conducted at the exchange meeting and what kind of experiment it was, there is still plenty of time to explain that later.

Right now, the higher-ups have decided to expedite the investigation of two people: Yu Yaoming and Yan Youjun. How did he acquire his dark abilities, and what was his reason for killing Yan Youjun in public?

The other person is Li Qi, who arrested Yu Yaoming in time to prevent the situation from escalating further. But what was his reason for appearing in the academic lecture hall?

Did he foresee the trouble all along, or is there more to this story than meets the eye, or is there a deeper conspiracy?

Li Qi gave a rather sincere answer, "I am a person who loves science. I went to Yue Province University to watch academic discussions with the attitude of learning knowledge, and I happened to come across this case."

Although some details were omitted in his statement, Li Qi was telling the truth.

But when he told the truth, no one believed him. An emergency document was issued from above, demanding that the case be tried immediately and that the investigation into Li Qi be strengthened.

The document was approved for Director Wang, Director Wang took it very seriously and spent an afternoon preparing a work plan before reporting it to Shen Jingye.

"Chief, our work plan is divided into three phases. The first phase involves directly using interrogation equipment to try and get Li Qi to reveal the full details of the case tonight."

In the second phase, Special Project Team was organized to conduct a focused investigation into Li Qi, and based on the results of the first phase of the trial, the entire sequence of events in the case was clarified.

In the third stage, based on the testimonies of Yu Yaoming and other witnesses, details were analyzed and compared to prevent Li Qi from concealing anything.

According to the work schedule, we will be able to obtain preliminary investigation results and form an investigation report within three days.

1

Shen Jingye glanced at the plan, put it aside, and asked, "Have you obtained Yu Yaoming's confession?"

"Got it." Director Wang handed the transcript to Shen Jingye.

Shen Jingye flipped through it, nodded, and said, "That's fine."

What does "that's it" mean?

Director Wang didn't understand Shen Jingye's meaning. He thought Shen Jingye must have approved his work plan, "I'll go and notify the staff in the interrogation room now, and tell them to make the necessary preparations."

Shen Jingye glanced at his watch. "It's already 6:30."

Director Wang thought he was too slow, so he quickly stood up and said, "I'll go prepare now."

Shen Jingye shook his head and said, "It's 6:30, time to get off work, Lao Wang, let's go home."

Director Wang froze on the spot. "Director Shen, the document requires us to begin the trial immediately—"

"I've left the plan with me, I'll handle this. You can go back now."

Director Wang returned to his office, Shen Jingye told him to go home, but he didn't dare to leave. He sat by the phone, waiting for Shen Jingye's next instructions.

Shen Jingye picked up the phone and asked his secretary to order some takeout. He took the food with him and went to Li Qi's office.

Li Qi, sitting behind his desk, chuckled, "Little Shen, are you here to interrogate me?"

"I haven't eaten yet," Shen Jingye said, placing the food and drinks on the table. "Have something with me."

Li Banfeng had already eaten at Portable Abode, and Shen Jingye Li Banfeng invited him to have a drink with him.

Roasted chicken, beef tripe, jellyfish salad, and pickled fish— Shen Jingye's dishes were quite impressive.

Li Banfeng said, "I'm currently a key target of investigation. Isn't this treatment a bit too good for me?"

"What kind of treatment is this?" Shen Jingye shook his head and said, "They want to investigate you? Why should they investigate you?"

Do they have the qualifications?

Li Banfeng stared at Shen Jingye and looked him up and down. He suspected that the Shen Jingye in front of him was not the real one.

"Little Shen, did you just say those words?"

"I was the one who said it," Shen Jingye said, handing Li Banfeng a chicken leg. "Do you think I'm muddle-headed and don't understand anything?"

Li Banfeng shook his head and said, "You understand everything, you just like to pretend to be confused."

"Yes, it's good to play dumb, but there are some things you can't ignore," Shen Jingye took a sip of beer. "You can't be oblivious to everything, but you can't be oblivious to things like Yu Yaoming."

Why did you go to Yue Province University? Why did you attend the academic conference? Is it important?

If you hadn't been there today, we would all be finished. Yu Yaoming would have killed countless people instead.

If Yu Yaoming were to commit Rivers of Blood and then run away, who could bear the consequences?

You not only saved the people at the scene, but you also saved those people upstairs. Now they're turning around and investigating you. How can they be so shameless?

Li Banfeng was increasingly surprised. He still suspected that the Shen Jingye in front of him was an imposter, but he couldn't see anything unusual about him.

Shen Jingye put down his beer can and said, "These words from my heart are only for you. I've already told you that the surveillance cameras in this room have been turned off. Once you leave this room, I won't take back anything I just said."

That's more like something Shen Jingye would say.

Li Banfeng asked, "Have you found out anything about Yu Yaoming? Where did his hidden abilities come from, and why did he kill Yan Youjun?"

Shen Jingye sighed, "You might not believe me if I told you, but this is his statement. Take a look."

Li Banfeng took the statement. "Can I see this? Aren't you afraid I'll collude with others to give the same testimony?"

"I'm not afraid!" Shen Jingye shook his head. "Showing it to others would be a waste of time, but showing it to you might be of some use."

As Li Banfeng flipped through the document, Shen Jingye explained, "According to Yu Yaoming's confession, he did not know the concept of dark power. He was neither a cultivator nor a dark power enthusiast. His special ability came from some experiments."

"What experiment?" The statement was somewhat fragmented, making it difficult for Li Banfeng to find the relevant information.

Shen Jingye said, "He said it was an experiment simulating the environment around a wormhole. He placed himself in the simulated extreme environment and observed his own vital signs. As a result, he discovered that his body had evolved and he possessed special abilities."

Because his special abilities stemmed from scientific research, he referred to these abilities as the power of wisdom, a point corroborated by the testimonies of several of his students.

Li Banfeng thought of Fang Yufei, who had always emphasized to Li Banfeng that her mentor possessed wisdom and power beyond comprehension.

"Are his students all doing well?"

"One of the female students is mentally unstable; the hospital said it was because she was severely frightened. The other students are in good condition."

Li Banfeng continued flipping through the notes, "To which sect of Daoism does his ability belong? Or to which profession?"

Shen Jingye shook his head and said, "He's not a professional. He's quite agile, but he doesn't have the speed of a Wanderer. He knows a lot of fighting techniques, but he doesn't have the ability to handle weapons like a fighter."

Li Banfeng said, "He can kill people with a pen; doesn't that count as having the ability to control weapons?"

"The origin of that pen is difficult to explain. I suspect it's a Dark Energy Carrier, but tests haven't shown any characteristics of Dark Energy Carrier."

But if it were truly an ordinary fountain pen, in Yu Yaoming's hands, it would be impossible for it to easily pierce a person's skull; he didn't have that ability.

Is this pen so special?

It seems I need to find an opportunity to talk to that pen.

What was Yu Yaoming's motive for killing Yan Youjun?

Shen Jingye sighed, "If I hadn't seen the confession with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed that Yu Yaoming's motive for killing Yan Youjun was anger."

"Just out of anger?"

"Yes, during the interrogation, there was Judges present, namely the one whom Pro State called Dexiu. With Yu Yaoming's abilities, it was impossible for him to resist Dexiu. What he said should be true."

Yu Yaoming had long been suppressed by Yan Youjun, and many people in academic circles knew about this. Before attending the exchange meeting, Yu Yaoming had revealed to his students that he intended to severely punish Yan Youjun at the meeting, possibly even taking his life.

Li Banfeng confessed, "He wanted to murder Yan Youjun, told his students beforehand, and then chose to commit the crime at the academic exchange conference?"

Shen Jingye nodded and said, "Do you think he's crazy?"

Judging from Fang Yufei's reaction at the time, Yu Yaoming was probably telling the truth, and Fang Yufei was not surprised by Yan Youjun's death.

Whether Yu Yaoming has gone mad or not depends on the circumstances.

In Pro State, killing people after declaring war is not uncommon, but in Outer State, this act is indeed somewhat insane.

Shen Jingye continued, "We had professionals conduct a comprehensive examination of Yaoming and assess his mental state. Although no substantial lesions were found, his mental state was extremely paranoid."

He himself admitted that his mental state had changed, and that this change was caused by some of his experiments. His students were also quite paranoid, which may all be related to the experiments he had conducted.

"If you hadn't caught this madman, his future behavior would have been unimaginable."

The two drank a few more glasses, Shen Jingye lit a cigarette and said, "I've been on tenterhooks these past two days, but now that this has happened, I can finally relax."

The higher-ups have been telling me about investigating the Black Market, and I felt this was unusual. How many years has the Culture Palace Black Market been around? Why is the higher-ups suddenly paying attention to it?

Old Liao heard some rumors that a man surnamed Hua, who has some past conflict with you, seems to have connections with Outer State. He wonders if this matter is related to him.

A person with the surname Hua?

Hua Manchun?

Is he involved in the Black Market?

Li Banfeng stared at Shen Jingye for a moment.

Regardless of whether the news is true or false, Shen Jingye will not easily reveal it, as he has always been unwilling to get involved in matters outside his authority.

Why is he acting so strangely today?

Shen Jingye continued, "Now that such a huge mess has occurred, the Black Market matter can be temporarily put on hold."

Take my advice: it's best to stay at the bureau for the next couple of days. If you really can't get used to it, you can go home.

But whatever you do, don't go to the Black Market. And it's best not to investigate the Birch Hermit Association or the Ferry Gang for a while.

Just as Li Banfeng had deduced, Teacher Song's sudden invitation for him to attend the academic conference was intended to help Li Banfeng evade the Black Market investigation.

This operation is likely a trap, a trap targeting Li Banfeng.

How much power does Hua Manchun wield? Is he able to extend his influence to Outer State, and even to the upper echelons of the Dark Star Bureau?

"Little Shen, why are you telling me so many things?" Li Banfeng asked directly, wanting to see Shen Jingye's reaction.

Shen Jingye downed the beer in the can in one gulp, then ate a bite of jellyfish skin. "I always do things with a clear conscience."

Li Banfeng took a sip of his drink. "Have you ever felt guilty?"

Shen Jingye remained silent for a moment, then lit a cigarette, opened a can of beer, took a big gulp, and didn't speak for a long time.

He glanced at Li Qi's office, looking for an opportunity to change the subject.

He noticed a wind-up record player on the bookshelf and asked, "Is this just a decorative item?"

"It's not a decoration," Li Banfeng shook his head and said, "It's a record player that I brought from Pro State. It can play music."

"Really?" Shen Jingye was skeptical. "Why don't you play a song for us?"

Li Banfeng wound up the record player and placed the needle on the record.

This ~

Shen Jingye shook his head slightly and said, "The background noise is a bit too loud."

Li Banfeng said, "The noise from ebony records is relatively low."

After a brief prelude, a poignant song began.

"The butterfly has flown away, and my heart is not here either. In this desolate long night, who will come to wipe away my tears? Is it because I craved a little dependence, a little love? The old bond should have been broken, but it is hard to let go, leaving only a heart full of sorrow—"

Shen Jingye listened attentively, his cigarette burning down to almost nothing, but he didn't bother to smoke it.

"What's the name of this song?"

"Wild Grasses and Flowers Meet Spring."

Who sang it?

"Jiang Mengting, the Song Queen from Pro State."

Actually, this album wasn't recorded by Jiang Mengting, but by his Wife. However, Li Banfeng couldn't reveal his Wife's name, so he could only attribute it to Jiang Mengting.

"It's so beautiful," Shen Jingye Li Banfeng, carefully recalling the nuances of the melody. "Could you play it again?"

Li Banfeng nodded and put the needle back at the starting point.

When the song started again, Shen Jingye's hand trembled slightly.

Ashes fell onto his trousers, and the cigarette in his hand burned out completely. He lit another one.

Under the cover of the music, Shen Jingye murmured, "If I had to say something, there are things I've done that I feel guilty about, the Big Head thing is that I've wronged him."

Li Qi asked, "Is there only one, Big Head?"

"And," Shen Jingye took a deep drag on his cigarette, "And candied fruit, awls, Huajia —the previous bureau chief let them down, and I let them down too."

Maybe it's because it's always been this way. I didn't want it to be this way, but it is. Even though it's always been this way, I still feel I've let them down.

Shen Jingye spoke haltingly, the cigarette trembling between his fingertips.

"The flowers have faded, burying even the heart; when the swallows return in spring, where will I be?"

As the music drew to a close, Shen Jingye extinguished his cigarette, grabbed his jacket, stood up, and said, "I'm going home."

My wife is petty. If I don't come home without saying goodbye, she'll be upset. I'm leaving.

As he reached the door, Shen Jingye turned back and said, "This song is really good."

Li Banfeng nodded. "We'll listen to it a few more times another day."

Shen Jingye was indeed acting strangely today, but Li Banfeng was certain that he wasn't someone else in disguise.

This is the real Shen Jingye. His abnormal behavior is likely related to Yu Yaoming, especially during Yu Yaoming's trial.

He was there.

Yu Yaoming has the ability to influence other people's emotions. In the academic lecture hall, many people's emotions were affected by him, including his students and the organizers of the exchange meeting.

Inspired by this, Shen Jingye told Li Banfeng some things he wouldn't normally say outright.

But he remains rational and will try to avoid key topics.

But after listening to his Wife's song, his emotions were amplified once again, to the point that he lost control of his emotions.

Little Shen, how should I put it?

Li Banfeng touched the projector, and the projector greeted the surveillance equipment in the room.

Shen Jingye did indeed give the order to turn off the surveillance equipment in Li Banfeng's office, but it's hard to say when that equipment will be turned back on.

Even if they were opened now, the monitors wouldn't notice anything unusual. Li Banfeng left the projector in the office to stand guard and returned to Portable Abode to discuss Yu Yaoming's courseware with his Wife.

Pro State, Flower Immortal Manor.

Manor Lord Hua Manchun was listening to Yuan Chunping relay news from Outer State: "The situation has changed; Li Qi is still alive for the time being."

But they cannot leave the Outer State in the short term.

Hua Manchun nodded and said, "It's enough to hold him back."

He looked at the other woman and asked, "Any news about He Jiaqing?"

The woman, named Lian Cui, was from Hua Manchun Flower Immortal Manor. Naturally, she was much more respectful to Yuan Chunping than Yuan Chunping: "Master, we haven't found his whereabouts yet."

"Still haven't found anything?" Hua Manchun asked seemingly casually, startling Lian Cui so much that she almost lost her balance.

"This servant will immediately dispatch more people to investigate—"

"Send all your men there," Hua Manchun pinched Lian Cui's cheek. "I'll wait for you until tomorrow. By the time you leave tomorrow, I need to hear news of He Jiaqing."

Lian Cui was really lucky; by dusk the next day, she had indeed found He Jiaqing's whereabouts. "Master,"

He Jiaqing has just arrived in Chu Yaoqian's territory.

"Great!" Hua Manchun was in high spirits and said to Yuan Chunping, "Please inform my friends in Puzi that tonight is the day I get my revenge. If you remember my contributions to Puzi and my kindness to you all, then..."

I would appreciate your help, everyone.

Yuan Chunping said, "Don't worry, Master, the two seniors from Puzi are nearby."

Hua Manchun turned to Lian Cui and said, "You take men and guard the manor. If anything goes wrong, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Lian Cui nodded repeatedly, and just as she stepped out of the hall, a spider web bumped into her face.

Spider silk has sprouted in the master's hall?

No wonder those maids were killed before; they couldn't even clean up a spider properly. They were so incompetent.

Lian Cui rubbed her hands together a few times, then quickly gathered people to intensify the defenses in the village.

Dabo Ensi sensed the tremors in the spider silk and said to Feng Daiku, "Ms. Feng, Hua Manchun has led people to Chu Yaoqian's territory and is having a fierce battle with He Jiaqing. The news is very reliable."

Feng Daiku and handed a beaded flower to Dabo Ensi's. It was a Spiritual Object and the reward that the two parties had agreed upon beforehand.

Dabo Ensi accepted the beaded flower. "Ms. Feng, I have had conflicts with Li Qi and Ma Wu. Please keep your promise and do not reveal my whereabouts to them."

Feng Daiku, "I won't reveal your whereabouts to anyone for one day. After today, we'll be like strangers."

If your information is false, I won't let you off the hook. Even if it's true, I've already paid you, and we're even.

If Young Master Li and Fifth Son ever want to kill you in the future, I will show you no mercy.

Dabo Ensi nodded and quickly disappeared into the depths of the jungle.

Feng Daiku relayed the message to Ma Wu, Ma Wu then took out Simple Phone and, with Luo ZhengNan as the central figure, called Li Banfeng.

"Seventh Brother, Hua Manchun has gone to Chu Yaoqian's territory and is about to start a war."

The projector and a group of cameras greeted him as Li Banfeng walked out of the Dark Star Bureau and went to Flower Lake Park.

Inside a mansion in Xindi, Chu Yaoqian was making tea for He Jiaqing: "Brother He, what brings you here today?"

He Jiaqing smiled and said, "Sister, what are you saying? I came here today specifically to visit you, and I also have something I'd like to discuss with you."

"Don't even mention discussing it, just tell me what you need, and I'll listen to you."

He Jiaqing sighed, "Sister, if you're so polite, I can't bring myself to speak. I've been eyeing a piece of land lately, in Luhuo Wang's territory. If you're acquainted with Luhuo Wang, could you put me on a call and let me talk to him in person?"

"Brother, you've come to the right person," Chu Yaoqian said with a smile. "Luhuo Wang and I are indeed acquainted. He had a conflict with Tao Xuehong back then, and I mediated it, getting Tao Xuehong to forgive him. Speaking of which, he still owes me a considerable favor."

Brother He, if you want to cultivate land on his territory, just go ahead and do it. If he dares to cause you trouble...

I slapped him across the face.

If we want to take a piece of land directly from him, my elder brother and I will go to him together. As long as the Land Block isn't too big, Luhuo Wang will definitely agree."

He Jiaqing shook his head and said, "I certainly won't take his land for nothing. I won't shortchange him a single penny of what he owes."

Chu Yaoqian lowered her head and said, "Brother, you can do whatever you want. I'll listen to you."

As they spoke, Chu Yaoqian moved closer.

He Jiaqing felt a sense of satisfaction and took a small step back.

Chu Yaoqian blushed and took He Jiaqing's hand. "Brother, was I being presumptuous?"

He Jiaqing pulled his hand back: "Thank you for your kindness, Sister. Let's settle the matter from before first." "Okay, let's settle it." Chu Yaoqian hugged He Jiaqing directly.

To be honest, she felt she had lost her composure.

It's understandable that Chu Yaoqian would have some feelings for He Jiaqing, who is young and promising.

However, one must be mindful of one's status when doing things. Chu Yaoqian is a local deity, and quite renowned among the Local Earth God.

Even if you have your own thoughts, you shouldn't be so direct and disregard appearances.

He Jiaqing realized something was wrong and quickly left the house. When he got to the courtyard, he saw Hua Manchun waving a feather fan and admiring the flowers.

Chu Yaoqian followed and came out. The reason she lost her composure just now was because she had fallen for Hua Manchun's technique and developed feelings for He Jiaqing.

Seeing Hua Manchun now, Chu Yaoqian felt a pang of panic, but with He Jiaqing present, she gritted her teeth and asked, "Master Hua, what brings you to my house?"

Hua Manchun smiled and said, "Can't I come to your house?"

Chu Yaoqian said, "You came uninvited and even used your skills on me. This seems to be against etiquette."

Hua Manchun said, "Let me ask you, Brother He, whether I invited him when he came to my estate?"

He Jiaqing, with a stern face, looked at Hua Manchun and said, "Senior, I have already made things clear about what happened back then."

"Is everything cleared up and that's the end of it?" Hua Manchun shook his head. "Young Master He, you overestimate my magnanimity. Do you think I'd really swallow this insult?"

"So, what does Master Yihua mean by how this feud can be resolved?" He Jiaqing asked calmly, his gaze shifting as he searched for an opportunity to strike at Hua Manchun.

Hua Manchun adjusted the feather fan in his hand. "Seeing that you are still young, I really can't hold it against you too much. Kneel down and kowtow to me three times, get out of this place, and never come back. Then this matter will be over."

He Jiaqing said, "My matter is over. What about Miss Chu?"

Hua Manchun glanced at Chu Yaoqian and shook his head, saying, "She won't get away with it so easily. I'm going to take her into the estate and discipline her properly for a few years."

Chu Yaoqian was about to fight Hua Manchun the death when He Jiaqing unexpectedly lifted the hem of his clothes.

Hua Manchun was startled. What was going on? Was He Jiaqing really going to kneel down?

"Senior, I apologize to you first!" He Jiaqing actually made a gesture as if he was about to kneel down.

Hua Manchun remained calm and composed, simply watching He Jiaqing quietly.

He Jiaqing had no intention of actually kneeling. He had two magical treasures hidden under his clothes. If Hua Manchun was even slightly distracted, He Jiaqing could seize the initiative and deliver a fatal blow.

However, these two magical artifacts remained unused because He Jiaqing had not given the order to use them.

At that moment, He Jiaqing suddenly had another idea.

Hua Manchun is too cautious; it seems unwise to act directly.

Chu Yaoqian falls victim to the technique, whether she can help is another matter, and she might even become a hindrance.

Kneel down first, kneel down first, then talk. After kneeling down, Hua Manchun's suspicions will naturally disappear, and then you can launch a sneak attack.

The odds of winning are much higher.

He Jiaqing's knees slowly dropped until they touched the ground, He Jiaqing truly knelt down before Hua Manchun.

Hua Manchun nodded and smiled, "You're a promising student. You're kneeling quite properly. Let me hear the sound of your kowtowing again. The louder the sound, the more sincere you are."

There was no need for kowtowing. He Jiaqing was already prepared to launch a sneak attack. He touched the magic weapon and gave the order to attack, but the magic weapon did not move.

He looked down and saw that the two magical artifacts were stuck to the ground along with the hem of his clothes.

He tried to get up, but found he couldn't.

Hua Manchun sighed, "No wonder I say you're a thief; your actions are never clean. You think you can pull off something underhanded in front of me? Don't you even know if you've grown all your teeth yet?"

An old man with a cane walked into the courtyard.

"Nian Xiuren Ren Antian." He Jiaqing recognized this person; Local Earth God of Yinian County.

An elderly woman followed behind the old man and also came out.

"Jiaoxiu Sun Peiying." He Jiaqing also recognized this person; Local Earth God Sticky Clump Gully.

He Jiaqing just postponed his surprise attack plan and chose to kneel down to Hua Manchun first, which was due to Nianxiu Ren Antian's technique.

After he knelt down, it was too late for a surprise attack; he had fallen victim to Jiao Xiu Sun Peiying's technique.

Hua Manchun waved his Folding Fan, and a surge of evil fire rose from He Jiaqing's heart, burning towards his internal organs.

"Young Master He, do you think kneeling is enough?" Hua Manchun sneered. "From the day you entered Flower Immortal Manor, your life was over."

PS: Three Proper Land Local Earth God, He Jiaqing is likely to meet with bad luck.